Chapter 117 An Unparalleled Delicacy
Su Hang was slightly taken aback, then smiled. He hadn't expected that the manager of Songji's restaurant knew so much, even understanding some of the techniques used in editing.
He nodded: "Okay, okay."
Once the footage is taken back to the production team, how it's edited is no longer up to him.
Su Hang thought this part was pretty good; it was natural, humorous, and very entertaining.
Filming continued. Song Xinran stood in front of the table, on which sat a perfect piece of pork belly. She held a gleaming, slightly narrow cleaver and cut precisely along the natural grain of the meat.
The meat seemed to turn into jelly, transforming into uniformly sized, square pieces in a few swift movements with her light touch.
Every movement showed no sign of the usual effort involved in chopping vegetables; instead, it possessed a graceful and orderly beauty.
Su Hang's eyes lit up. He was about to signal Brother Zhang to give the meat a close-up, but before he could speak, Brother Zhang had already taken the initiative to give it a close-up.
Su Hang praised, "Manager Song's knife skills are superb."
Upon closer inspection, one can't help but exclaim in surprise: "Every piece of meat seems to be about the same size!"
Su Hang's words were not an exaggeration, but a fact: the two square pieces of meat looked exactly the same size to the naked eye.
In fact, most chefs with a bit of skill can cut vegetables into uniform sizes. However, uniformity means that they look about the same to the naked eye. If you want every piece to be the same size, that's being overly picky.
Su Hang remembered clearly that Song Xinran hadn't carefully measured each piece before cutting it; she had cut it rather casually.
"Manager Song," Su Hang asked, "May I measure the size of these meat pieces? Don't worry, this part doesn't need to be included in the final cut."
He was just curious, extremely curious, whether these cube-shaped pieces of meat were really all the same size.
When He Zhi heard this, he thought Su Hang was there to cause trouble. Who would make such a request? But looking into Su Hang's exceptionally sincere eyes, he thought he might be overthinking it.
Song Xinran didn't think too much about it; she agreed as soon as Su Hang made the suggestion.
Su Hang immediately found a flexible measuring tape and measured each piece of meat, then let out a soft gasp of surprise:
"Manager Song, each piece of meat here is about 3 centimeters long, wide, and high! The largest difference is only one or two millimeters! How did you cut such neat pieces of meat?"
Zhang Ge immediately turned the camera towards Song Xinran, his gaze intense, his eyes also sparkling with curiosity.
Song Xinran was a little stumped. How was it cut out? Didn't they all see it just now? How was she supposed to answer that?
She could only smile and say, "It's just that I've practiced for a long time, and it's become a habit."
It was just an ordinary sentence, but He Zhi seemed to hear the true strength hidden in her humility. His tone became even more proud, and he said without any pretense, "The manager's eyes are like rulers! Without using hands or measuring with a ruler, she can cut meat with incredible precision with a flick of her wrist, down to the last centimeter! Such skills require years of practice and accumulation. What looks simple to you is actually not easy at all!"
"Cough cough cough!" Song Xinran coughed twice, quickly interrupting He Zhi.
What's going on? He Zhi is usually so steady and humble, so why is he talking so eloquently in front of the camera, praising her to the skies? Song Xinran is genuinely embarrassed.
Those who don't know the situation might think that the staff at Songji Restaurant just love to engage in commercial hype, praising and flattering each other in unison.
But Su Hang clearly didn't think that way. Instead, he wholeheartedly supported He Zhi's words: "Manager Song's knife skills are indeed first-rate. I saw it with my own eyes. He didn't use a ruler to measure the cuts; he just improvised!"
Song Xinran coughed lightly again: "Then let's continue filming now."
If she hadn't seen the production crew's work badges and if the store employees hadn't recognized the host, Song Xinran would have doubted whether they were a legitimate filming crew.
Generally speaking, program recordings don't favor the businesses too much, and the production team is in a relatively objective position. However, the three people in front of us were relatively objective at the beginning, but they became more and more exaggerated later on, praising the businesses while expressing surprise, making it seem like Song Xinran had spent a lot of money to hire them to advertise.
The subsequent recording went smoothly. Song Xinran's braised pork was incredibly skillful, and she handled every aspect of the cooking process with ease.
While filming, Brother Zhang carefully observed and tried to learn how to cook at home. However, he became engrossed in watching and found that Manager Song's cooking posture was particularly beautiful.
This kind of beauty is full of power; every stir-fry, seasoning, and toss is fluid and graceful, like a moving painting.
Not only that, the meat chunks in the pot are also very tempting. After caramelizing the sugar, each piece of meat is coated with a layer of crystal clear reddish-brown. As it simmers in the pot, small bubbles keep rising from the pot. The juice that was originally coating the meat chunks seems to slowly seep into the meat's texture. Just by looking at it, you can tell how flavorful it must be.
Braised pork requires the most stewing time, and during this hour and a half, Su Hang seized the opportunity to conduct the interview.
"Manager Song, how did you learn such amazing culinary skills? Is it a family tradition or did you study under a famous master?"
Song Xinran had no choice but to make up a name for herself, saying that she had been interested in kitchen matters since she was a child, but she had never formally apprenticed to any master. She had just met many excellent chefs along the way and discussed and learned from each other.
In order to ensure authenticity, Song Xinran even fabricated Lei Hong's name and incorporated it into her learning process.
Su Hang's eyes lit up: "Manager Song has drawn on the strengths of many and created his own style. Your cooking system has no rigid rules and regulations, but rather your own understanding and creation of flavors."
Then, Su Hang asked the next question: "When we first came to the restaurant, we all really liked the decor. What was your initial motivation for opening such a unique private restaurant?"
Song Xinran really wanted to say it was for making money, but she naturally had to put on a good image in front of the camera, so she said she wanted to open a healthy restaurant, selecting the freshest and healthiest ingredients so that everyone could eat with peace of mind.
Su Hang exclaimed, "Manager Song is truly a thoughtful person. In today's world where food safety issues are frequent, it is so rare for you to uphold such a pure heart. You are truly a conscience of the catering industry."
Song Xinran: ?
She felt a little numb and wondered what was going on.
Su Hang's words were an exaggeration, almost a blatant compliment. As a food program host, he should have met many restaurant owners and know that this was just a platitude. Everyone just went along with it and got by.
The fact that Su Hang praised her so highly made Song Xinran feel somewhat ashamed.
The final interview finally ended, and Song Xinran breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, the braised pork was finally ready.
When the casserole was lifted again, a rich aroma filled the entire kitchen as if it were a tangible thing. The broth in the pot had thickened and become glossy, and the meat chunks trembled and gleamed with an amber luster.
In the midst of the quiet, one could almost hear someone uncontrollably sucking in their saliva.
Su Hang laughed and said, "This pot of braised pork looks so delicious. Manager Song, please share some of your secrets to making it well."
Song Xinran also shared her secrets: the key steps to making braised pork belly are removing the gamey smell and shaping it, caramelizing the sugar for color, simmering over low heat, and reducing the sauce over high heat. If you do these four things right, your braised pork belly will be a beautiful, glossy red, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and rich yet not greasy.
As Song Xinran introduced the dish, Brother Zhang listened intently. The more he listened, the more he felt that the key to making this dish well lay in the chef's skill in stir-frying and controlling the heat.
The recording of the show finally ended. Watching Su Hang and the others pack up to leave, Zou Xiaoguang couldn't help but do something a little out of character. He took out a notebook and handed it to Su Hang: "Can you sign this for me? I've liked you for a long time!"
Pang Ru was immediately disappointed in Zou Xiaoguang. Just now, Zou Xiaoguang had said that he represented Songji's reputation and that he must be composed.
But seeing that Su Hang was very good-natured, not only signing Zou Xiaoguang's notebook but also writing a blessing for him in the notebook, Pang Ru couldn't hold back any longer. She rushed over and, making do with Zou Xiaoguang's notebook, asked Su Hang to sign her notebook as well.
Su Hang was overjoyed. He had been at Song's restaurant for so long today, and this was the first time he had ever felt like a public figure.
"Manager Song, the dishes at your restaurant are really delicious. We'll definitely edit them as soon as we get back and present them on TV as soon as possible. Remember to watch it then!" Su Hang was already impatient and wanted to see what the finished product would look like. If the video showed something that could be seen and smelled, Su Hang felt that the show would definitely be loved by the audience and would be perfect to watch while eating.
Song Xinran smiled and said, "We'll definitely watch it when it airs."
Su Hang and the other two left together. Watching their backs, Pang Ru was still a little reluctant to part: "Su Hang is even more handsome in real life than on the show, and he's so gentle. His handwriting is also beautiful."
Zou Xiaoguang admired the notebook, looking like a devoted fan: "Su Hang has absolutely no airs of a celebrity, and he actually came to our restaurant! My dream has come true!"
A suppressed laugh came from beside them. Pang Ru and Zou Xiaoguang turned their heads at the same time and found that Su Hang, who had just left, had somehow returned!
Su Hang smiled broadly: "Thank you for your support. We will work even harder to make the show even better."
Both of them blushed deeply and managed to fake it for several hours, but in the end they messed up, and Songji's reputation is probably going to be ruined by them!
The two murmured to themselves, unsure of what to say.
Su Hang looked at Song Xinran, a little embarrassed, and asked, "Manager Song, could we sell you the braised pork you just made?"
"Our crew's cameramen love braised pork the most; they still crave it even after they've left the show..."
Actually, it wasn't just Brother Zhang who loved to eat it. He and Xiao Chen had seen firsthand how the braised pork was cooked, and they had swallowed their saliva several times. Otherwise, why would Su Hang have come back to buy it again? It was something that didn't care about saving face at all.
Song Xinran readily agreed: "Of course, I'll pack it up for you."
They came back to buy more even after leaving, which shows how much they really liked it. As for the cost, Song Xinran naturally gave them a free meal. I just hope they can cut out what she wanted to be cut from the editing.
Su Hang returned with a box full of braised pork, and this time he was really gone.
Pang Ru stared at his retreating figure, bit her cheek, and suddenly said, "It seems like my affection for him has diminished a little."
"Damn it, that plate of braised pork was clearly left for us by the manager," Pang Ru said angrily.
Zou Xiaoguang: "Damn it, I clearly scooped some braised pork broth to mix with my rice!"
It seems that when it comes to delicious food, even liking celebrities has to take a backseat.
*
After the "Food Detective" crew left, the restaurant became bustling with excitement. Even though it was break time, everyone stayed up and gathered together to discuss the day's events and imagine how popular Songji would become after the show aired.
"I wonder when we'll be able to see our restaurant on TV again," Pang Ru said, resting her chin on her hand and imagining.
Shen Hui said, "Don't even think about it right now. The TV station has a very complicated process to go through, it will take at least a few months."
"Huh? No way!" Pang Ru said, "Su Hang said today that he would make a guarantee to broadcast it as soon as possible."
He Zhidao said, "It will take at least two months."
He was also involved in the filming of "Food Detective" at Rongxia Xiaochu two months ago, and it still hasn't aired.
Moreover, the big boss has connections, so He Zhi thinks the TV program production cycle will be very long.
Pang Ru said, "I don't believe it. Su Hang would never lie to me. I'm going to stay in front of the TV tonight to watch!"
Zou Xiaoguang chimed in, "Pang Ru is right. It might air tonight, and we can watch it together then."
They were all relatively young and didn't understand the TV program production process. They just thought that Su Hang had said he would do it as soon as possible, so it would probably be in the next day or two, and today was not impossible.
Shen Hui couldn't bear to shatter the two young people's illusions, but she still had to say, "Where are you going to watch TV? We don't have a TV in our store."
Zou Xiaoguang said, "Go to the supermarket next door. He has TVs at home. I know the owner quite well. I asked him to let us watch TV."
The matter was thus decided amicably, though Song Xinran was unaware of it at the moment.
"Food Detective" airs on a local TV station every night at 7:30. Today at 7:30, the customers had already left the restaurant, leaving only some trash to be cleaned up.
"Manager, we're going out to watch some TV, we'll be right back! You can go ahead, we can handle these things," Pang Ru reported to Song Xinran.
Song Xinran asked curiously, "Are there any special TV dramas airing tonight?"
“Yes!” Pang Ru said, “Let’s see if the food detective will publish the content of the visit to Song’s Restaurant.”
Song Xinran: ?
If it weren't for Pang Ru's serious expression, Song Xinran would have thought she was joking.
Song Xinran advised, "It won't be that fast. You'll just be wasting your time."
Pang Ru said, "Su Hang would never lie to anyone."
Zou Xiaoguang, who should have gone home, stayed to watch TV with everyone. He even tried to drag Song Xinran along: "Manager, come with us and see. It would be so meaningful for everyone to see our store on TV."
After Song Yu and Fu Fu finished dinner, the two children were playing outside when they heard Zou Xiaoguang say that they were going to be on TV. Song Yu quickly ran in, stood in front of Song Xinran, and looked up at her, asking, "Mom, is our store going to be on TV?"
Fu Fu took this as a statement of fact. In a child's mind, appearing on TV is a tremendous honor. He excitedly said, "Aunt Song, let's go watch TV!"
Song Yu blinked, her eyes filled with expectation: "Mom."
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, the intention was obvious.
"Okay." Song Xinran agreed, thinking of it as taking the child out to play.
The owner of the small supermarket was quite surprised to see so many people coming over, but people these days just love a lively atmosphere, and having someone come to their house to watch TV is a way of showing off.
The boss turned the TV around so they could watch it from outside.
Song Xinran held Song Yu's hand. His little hands were warm, like a small stove, gripping her fingers tightly. He would talk to her from time to time, asking, "Mommy, what do the people on TV look like? Are they like us?"
Song Xinran patiently explained to him how the camera works and how the program is filmed, edited, and produced.
Song Yu seemed to understand but not quite. He stood on tiptoe to look inside, and the corners of his lips slowly curled up, looking very happy.
Fu Fu nudged Song Yu's arm and handed him a piece of candy. Fu Fu always carried a lot of snacks in his pocket, and could always pull something out anytime, anywhere.
"Thank you," Song Yu said softly, unwrapping the candy and putting it in her mouth.
Looking at the two children, Song Xinran suddenly remembered the open-air movies she watched when she was a child. It was the same way; her friends would buy some snacks and watch the movie while eating and talking. Those were very happy memories.
At 7:30, "Food Detective" started on time. As Su Hang appeared on the TV, Pang Ru exclaimed "Wow!"
It's such a strange feeling that someone I saw at noon today is now on TV again.
Su Hang is introducing the restaurant for this episode: "Dear viewers, in this episode, we will take you to explore a special, specialized private restaurant."
Upon hearing this, Pang Ru couldn't contain her excitement: "Oh my god, it really is Song's Private Kitchen! The Food Detective program team is so efficient!"
Shen Hui's eyebrows twitched slightly, her expression puzzled. This shouldn't be the case; no TV program production team is as efficient as filming and airing the same day.
On TV, Su Hang was still introducing it: "It is hidden in the city, unassuming, but it has won the praise of diners with its extreme pursuit of taste."
Off-screen, Zou Xiaoguang couldn't help but say, "That's so true, isn't that exactly how we are?"
Pang Ru and he exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with excitement.
Even Shen Hui's face showed a look of doubt.
But Song Xinran's heart skipped a beat. It shouldn't be this fast. Could it be that she ran into another private restaurant?
Sure enough, Su Hang's next words revealed the restaurant's true nature: "Today, let's step into Rongxia Kitchen and explore the secrets of its treasured private dishes."
Several people outside the TV: …………
Pang Ru and Zou Xiaoguang's smiles froze instantly.
Shen Hui and He Zhi froze on the spot, feeling a mix of emotions. How could such a thing happen? While they were both paying close attention, the Food Detective finally aired the episode that was filmed two months ago at Rongxia Kitchen.
What a small world!
The two children were watching TV attentively, but they noticed that something the host said seemed off. Fufu asked, a little confused, "Aunt Song, has our shop been renamed Rong Xiaochu?"
Fufu comes to the store for dinner almost every day. She hears the staff talking about the store all the time, so she has also learned to use the term. However, she remembers that Aunt Song's store was not called by this name. Could it have been renamed?
Song Xinran was slightly embarrassed.
Song Yu patted Fu Fu on the shoulder and explained earnestly in a childish voice, "No, our shop hasn't changed its name. It's still called Song Ji Private Banquet House. The shop shown on TV is someone else's."
Fu Fu seemed thoughtful, then asked, "When will our store appear on TV?"
Song Xinran thought that their restaurant wouldn't be on TV tonight, because each episode of Food Detective only features one restaurant.
She patted the little girl's head: "It might take a few days. I'll tell Fufu when it airs."
Fufu said, "Aunt Song, you should tell me in advance so I can watch it on TV."
That way she could sneak a peek at the cartoons for a while; Fu Fu has always been a clever child.
Song Xinran chuckled to herself, thinking that she didn't know when it would air either, so how could she tell her in advance? But such programs should have reruns, right?
Because the videos featured reviews of other restaurants, Song Ji's employees only watched the beginning before leaving, and they all seemed quite dejected.
On the other hand, Rongxia Kitchen was energized, and the assistant manager immediately reported to Gu Hong: "President Gu, this episode of Food Detective features our restaurant!"
As the assistant manager watched, he excitedly told Gu Hong that he was even happier than if he had won the lottery: "Mr. Gu, the program is showing our restaurant's signature dish, Amber Fragrant Pork Ribs!" It's actually plum sauce pork chops, but they've given it a fancy name.
"Mr. Gu, the food at our restaurant is absolutely delicious; even the TV crew was attracted to it!"
"Mr. Gu, it's all thanks to your visionary and skillful guidance that our store has been able to get to where it is today!"
While watching the TV program, Gu Hong felt incredibly comfortable being flattered: "After today's program airs, Rongxia Kitchen's business will pick up. Xiao Du, you'd better seize the opportunity and do a good job of bringing back customers."
The assistant manager immediately vowed, "President Gu, rest assured, I will cherish this opportunity and absolutely not let other restaurants steal our customers! I will definitely give President Gu a satisfactory result!"
Gu Hong was relieved, hung up the phone, and continued watching the program. It truly lived up to its reputation as a popular local program; look how well Rongxia Xiaochu was filmed.
Gu Hong's relief lasted only four days.
On the fifth day, the assistant store manager called in tears: "Manager Gu, that Song Ji restaurant is sticking to us like a leech. They even hired 'Food Detective' to film a show, and it's airing right next to our episode!"
Gu Hong frowned. He had heard the name Song Ji from the assistant store manager many times. When he turned on the TV program, he saw that the latest episode of "Food Detective" was about visiting Song Ji.
This was also the first time Gu Hong had seen what Song Ji looked like; in terms of scale and grandeur, it was completely incomparable to Rongxia Xiaochu.
But their advertising is just too exaggerated!
Listen to what Su Hang has to say.
It's said that Song Ji is the top recommended restaurant on [platform name], its dishes are unparalleled in their deliciousness, its chefs are incredibly skilled, and its owner remains true to his original aspirations and has lofty ideals and ambitions…
They praised Song Ji to the skies, but to Gu Hong, every word sounded like a dig at him.
Moreover, the program team had just aired a visit to Rongxia Xiaochu a few days ago. Since the two restaurants offer similar cuisines, viewers inevitably made comparisons, and in these comparisons, Rongxia Xiaochu clearly came out on the losing end.
During this visit to Songji, the host, Su Hang, became even more excited, his tone more animated. Later, there was even a scene where the crew's cameramen couldn't resist the temptation of the food and started eating with everyone. Just by looking at that, you could tell how appealing Songji's dishes must be and how realistic the show must be.
Gu Hong glared angrily, his teeth clenched, and forcefully turned off the television.
What dishes are appealing? What shows are authentic? He gets on these shows by throwing money at them; how could he not know the inside story?
The show's subtle comparison only proves one thing: Songji spent far more money!
Gu Hong thought angrily, wondering which family's junior was so blind as to steal his business.
At first, he thought he should be lenient, but Song Ji was ungrateful and even wanted to use Rongxia Xiaochu as a stepping stone.
If he doesn't show some real skill soon, people will really think that Rongxia Xiaochu is easy to bully.
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